Refraining from providing a direct answer if farmers’ income has doubled, the Government on Tuesday told the Parliament that several steps have been taken subsequent to the decision to double farmers’ income. Stating that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has compiled success stories of 75,000 farmers, several of whom have reported over two times growth in income.

 

Replying to several questions related to farmers’ income in the Lok Sabha, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said based on the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households, the average monthly income has increased from  Rs.6,426 in 2012-13 to Rs.10,218 in 2018-19, which is an increase of 59 per cent.

 

Listing the ministry’s schemes, Munda said the government’s efforts have led to an average annual growth rate of 4 per cent over the past five years in the GVA of the agriculture and allied sector. 'Implementation of these schemes has yielded remarkable results towards augmenting the income of the farmers. As part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, ICAR has released a book, which contains compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers out of innumerable successful farmers who have increased their income more than two times,' he said.

 

Seven income growth sources

The minister said the government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April 2016 to examine issues relating to 'Doubling of Farmers Income (DFI)' and recommend strategies to achieve the same. The Committee submitted its final report in September2018 containing the recommendations.

 

He said the DFI Committee has identified seven sources of income growth — Increase in crop productivity, increase in livestock productivity, resource use efficiency (reduction in cost of production), increase in cropping intensity, diversification to high-value agriculture, remunerative prices on farmers’ produce and shift of surplus manpower from farm to non-farm occupations — to achieve the objective.

 

Accordingly, there has been substantial enhancement in the budget allocation of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare from Rs.27,662.67 crore (BE) during 2013-14 to Rs.1,25,035.79 crore (BE) in 2023-24, he said, adding the Ministry of Cooperation, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Department of Fisheries were earlier integral parts of the Ministry of Agriculture in 2013-14. In a separate reply, Munda said in the four years between 2019-20 and 2022-23, against the revised allocation of Rs.4,77,780.6 crore made for the Agriculture Ministry, the actual expenditure was Rs.4,49,869.3 crore, while Rs.27,911.22 crore was unutilised.

 

However, the minister clarified that allocation for North-Eastern States, Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (DAPSC) and Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) are earmarked in line with the existing guidelines and the Ministry ensures that funds earmarked under these heads are utilised effectively.

 

Munda said the expenditure on farmers’ welfare in the country has increased manifold in 2022-23 — Rs.6.5 lakh crore was spent. He listed expenses on several schemes and subsidies that the government spent on its programmes.

MoFPI through implementation of the Central Sector Scheme, namely, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), interalia, helps in creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet across the country. The scheme not only provide a boost to the growth of food processing sector in the country but also helps in, interalia, reducing wastage of agricultural produce, increasing the processing level and enhancing the export of the processed foods.

 

MoFPI is also implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme- PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) for providing technical, financial and business support for setting up/upgradation of 2 lakh Micro Food Processing Enterprises. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme also launched by MoFPI for the period 2021-22 to 2026-27 to create global food champions and improving the visibility of Indian food brands abroad.

 

Besides above, the allied Ministries/Departments and their Agencies such as Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, APEDA, MPEDA, etc. also extend enabling support through their respective schemes like Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, Agriculture Export Promotion Plan Scheme, National Agriculture Infra Financing Facility, etc.

 

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Km. Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

The Wheat and Barley Section at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) has introduced a wheat variety - WH 1402. This high-yielding wheat variant has been designed to thrive with just two spells of irrigation and moderate fertilisers, presenting a promising solution for farmers facing water scarcity.

 

Resilient and High-Yielding Wheat

HAU Vice Chancellor, Prof BR Kamboj, highlighted the adaptability of WH 1402 to the plains of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir. Boasting an average yield of 50 quintals per hectare and a maximum yield of 68 quintals per hectare in only two irrigation sessions, this new variety is a game-changer for agricultural productivity.

 

Wheat Combatting Diseases and Boosting Yield

Kamboj emphasised that WH 1402 exhibits resistance against prevalent diseases like yellow rust, brown rust, and others. Additionally, it surpasses the yield of NIAW 3170, a well-regarded variety in low-water zones, by 7.5 percent.

 

Addressing Water Depletion

The vice chancellor recommended specific fertiliser usage - 90 kg pure nitrogen, 60 kg phosphorus, 40 kg potash, and 25 kg zinc sulfate per hectare. This approach aims to curb over-exploitation of groundwater, especially in regions with declining water tables. This development holds the potential to alleviate water-related challenges in areas with limited water resources.

 

National-Level Release

Prof BR Kamboj proudly announced that the new variety has received national-level approval, making it particularly beneficial for sandy, less fertile, and water-scarce regions. Agriculture College Dean Dr SK Pahuja advised farmers to sow this variety between the last week of October and the first week of November, using 100 kg of seeds per hectare. He also highlighted the nutritional value of the grain, making WH 1402 a holistic choice for farmers aiming for both quality and quantity in their produce.

Farmers in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan are expecting at least seven to 10 per cent increase in yield of wheat this year due to favourable weather throughout January and the recent rains that brought temperature down.

 

They will likely provide requisite moisture over the next few days. However, any abnormal temperature increase in this month and March, particularly during the grain-filling stage, could offset their calculation and may even lower the production from last year.

 

'The current spell of rains is a much expected relief as it will save one round of irrigation. The cold conditions have helped the crop to come up very well this time,' said R S Rana, a farmer in Haryana, bordering Delhi, said and added that his decision to go for Pusa 1718 and got the planting completed in last week of October have been helpful.

 

Snowfall raises hopes

Another farmer, Amrik Singh Dhillon of Ludhiana, Punjab, said he has again sown PBW 826 variety and hopes to get higher yield this time from over 25 quintal/acre last year as the weather so far was very good. Besides, he expected that the current spell of snowfall in the Hills would not allow temperature to rise this month from normal level.

 

'My only concern is about some delay in sowing this year as I had planted wheat in last week of October in 2022 and around November 10 in 2023,' he said and added that there is no report of any pest attack from anywhere, so far.

 

Ashok Singh, of Hanumangarh and Sukhvider Pal Singh of Sri Ganganagar, both in Rajasthan, are also happy and expect a good harvest of wheat. 'In our area, some farmers planted wheat even up to December 20 after uprooting cotton, though the majority of sowing started after the first week of November. The heading has started coming up in early sown crop, planted before November 7,' Pal Singh said.

 

Highest sowing in UP

The Agriculture Ministry Friday released the final sowing data of all Rabi crops for the 2023-24 season, which show that wheat acreage this year ended at 341.57 lakh hectares (lh) compared with 339.20 lh in 2022-23. Uttar Pradesh, the largest producer of wheat, has reported the highest sowing of over 101.41 lh, up by more than 4 per cent and it has helped offset lower coverage in Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The acreage in Punjab and Haryana is almost at par with last year.

 

The Government has fixed a target of 114 million tonnes for wheat production this year.

 

Even if the day temperature is one to two degree Celsius higher than normal, there is no worry for the crop provided the night is cooler, Gyanendra Singh, Director of Karnal-based Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) had said last month.

 

IMD bulletin

According to latest Bulletin of India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature in Haryana’s Ambala. Hisar, Rohtak and Chandigarh was one to two degree Celsius lower than normal. In Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala in Punjab, the maximum temperature was one to four degree Celsius below normal. In Rajasthan’s main wheat growing belt the maximum temperature was 3 degree Celsius below normal.

 

However, in Meerut, Aligarh and Shahjahanpur of western Uttar Pradesh, the maximum temperature was 0.4-0.9 degree Celsius above normal on February 3. In Gorakhpur, Hardoi and Bahraich of eastern Uttar Pradesh, the maximum temperature was 0.5-2.1 degree Celsius above normal.

 

In Punjab and Haryana, the minimum temperature was 3-6 degree Celsius above normal on February 4. In most of the places in Uttar Pradesh, too the minimum temperature was up to 3.2 degree Celsius above normal.

 

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Ministry data also showed that the area sown under all Rabi crops during the 2023-24 crop year (July-June) ended at 709.29 lh, a tad higher than 709.09 lh during 2022-23.

 

Winter-grown pulses acreage was 160.08 lh compared with 166.19 lh as gram (chana) acreage dropped to 104.74 lh from 110.71 lh. But lentil acreage rose to 19.57 lh from 18.52 lh.

 

Mustard acreage was 100.44 lh against 97.97 lh in the corresponding period of 2022-23. All rabi oilseeds acreage has been reported to be at 110.96 lh, up from 109.76 lh a year ago. Groundnut area, however, ended down at 4.88 lh from 5.68 lh.

 

Winter paddy acreage reached 39.29 lh against 40.37 lh a year ago. In coarse cereals, the sowing area was 57.38 lh from 53.57 lh. Jowar acreage up 25.17 lh from 22.37 lh and maize at 23.08 lh from 22.62 lh. Barley sowing is also up at 8.21 lh against 7.57 lh.

The Agriculture Ministry has notified grading and marketing rules for five premium non-Basmati rice varieties of West Bengal — Gobindabhog, Tulaipanji, Kataribhog, Kalonunia and Radhunipagal. Under this, the authorised packers have to either set up their own laboratory or use an approved laboratory for testing the quality of rice, which will be for the first time done for any non-Basmati variety.

 

For domestic trade, packers have to follow FSSAI standards and for export, they need to comply with the residual limits fixed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission or importing countries, according to a notification issued by the Agriculture Ministry last week.

 

Issuing the Non-Basmati Aromatic Rice Grading and Marking Rules, 2024, the Ministry said objections and suggestions received from the stakeholders have been duly considered. The draft rules were notified in October last year and stakeholders were asked to submit their views in 45 days.

 

Ensuring purity

'The rice shall be packed in suitable packaging material in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 and Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011,' it said.

 

Further, the graded material of small pack sizes of the same lot or batch and grade may be packed in a master container with complete details thereon along with the grade designation mark. Each package shall contain rice of the same type and of the same grade designation, it said.

 

To ensure the purity of these five varieties, like in case of Basmati, the Government has said confirmation for rice variety shall be done by Polymerase Chain Reaction test, if required.

 

The government has also prescribed detail specifications of each variety mentioning minimum requirements such as short or long grains type, how much natural fragrance it possess, characteristic of the variety both in raw and cooked forms, should be free from artificial colouring, polishing agents, artificial fragrances and any other chemicals.

 

Gobindabhog rice is produced mainly in West Bengal’s Bardhaman, Hooghly, Nadia and Birbhum districts. At the same time, both Tulaipanji and Radhunipagal mainly found their origin in the Raiganj subdivision of Uttar Dinajpur district. Kataribhog is grown in the undivided Dinajpur district while Kalonunia is cultivated in Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Darjeeling regions of the State.

 

Telangana will host the Global Rice Summit-2024, which will be held in India for the first time between June 4 and 6.

More than 500 stakeholders including exports, experts, researchers, and market forces from various countries and Indian states will participate if the state government passes a crucial resolution seeking the Centre to tweak the policy on rice export ban since a lot of stock is pending with states including Telangana.

 

The event will be held in partnership with International Commodity Institute (ICI).

Divulging the details of the conference along with agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, ICI’s Indian representative Samarendu Mohanty, said India has thousands of rice varieties, which are offered to exporters across the globe. 'We want other countries to have a glimpse of what India and Telangana have, as the country is the biggest rice exporter in the world. Telangana has become the biggest rice producing state in the country, and this conference will be a platform for interaction and building networks,' Mohanty said. 'We will invite heads of International Rice Research Institute.'

ICI is an NGO working in rice production and export research trends. ICI CEO Jeremy Zwinger said the conference will open up many opportunities.

 

Explaining its objectives, member of ICI, a former associate of the dean of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University, professor Janaiah Aldas said: 'Promoting the rice exports, providing a knowledge platform, showcasing various varieties from rice from India and Telangana will be the focus,' he said.

 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) took a major step towards achieving the goal of 'One Nation, One Commodity, One Regulator' by improving the ease of doing business in the food sector. This initiative, discussed and approved in the 43rd meeting of the FSSAI held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Health Secretary, Apurva Chandra, marks a significant milestone in India's regulatory landscape. The meeting saw the approval of various amendments across different Food Safety and Standards Regulations.

 

Notably, these amendments aim to streamline the certification process for food products, eliminating the need for Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or AGMARK certification. Once finalized, food businesses will only require FSSAI certification, reducing the bureaucratic hurdles previously faced.

 

Expanding Standards: Mead, Alcoholic RTDs, and More

Among the approved amendments are the standards for Mead (Honey wine) and Alcoholic Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, reflecting the evolving consumer preferences and industry trends. Additionally, revisions to the standards of milk fat products and the introduction of standards for Haleem, a traditional dish comprising meat, pulses, grains, and spices, further exemplify FSSAI's commitment to encompassing a diverse range of food products under its regulatory purview.

 

Comprehensive Manuals for Regulatory Compliance

In a pioneering move, the FSSAI approved comprehensive manuals of methods of analysis to ensure regulatory compliance across food products. This initiative underscores FSSAI's proactive approach towards enhancing food safety standards and promoting consumer welfare.

 

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

Recognizing the importance of stakeholder engagement, the amendments across different regulations are slated for draft notification to invite comments from stakeholders before finalization. The inclusive approach adopted by FSSAI encourages inputs from industry associations, consumer organizations, research institutes, farmers' organizations, and various government bodies, fostering a collaborative ecosystem for regulatory development.

 

The meeting witnessed the participation of key stakeholders, including G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of FSSAI, along with officials from various ministries and departments, such as Health and Family Welfare, Commerce, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Law and Justice, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

 

The approvals and amendments ratified in the 43rd meeting of FSSAI exemplify the Authority's commitment to enhancing food safety standards, promoting regulatory efficiency, and fostering a conducive business environment in India's food sector.

Aiming to check very high prices of potatoes, the Bangladesh government has approved the import of 34,000 tonnes of potatoes from India. A total of 25 tonnes of potato arrived in Bangladesh through Dinajpur’s Hili land port from India on Saturday afternoon. As a result, the price of potatoes came down to Taka 25-30 per kg at retail markets from Taka 40-45  in the country.

 

Land port officials told the local media persons that the government has decided to import potatoes from India to rein in the soaring price of the vegetable ahead of Ramadan. A total of 49 traders will be able to start importing the potatoes from Saturday or Sunday, he added.

 

A local wholesale trader said that the price of potato went out of control due to shortage of the supply in Bangladesh's market last year. On October 30, the Bangladesh government allowed import of potatoes from India to maintain supply and to keep the situation normal. Since then, the price of imported potatoes has come down in the market. Following the market stability, Bangladesh again stopped importing potatoes through Hili land port from December 15.

Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna on Monday informed the House that three new schemes are being started by the state government to encourage agriculture.

 

These are the State Agriculture Development Scheme, World Bank Assisted Agri Scheme and establishment of automatic weather stations and automatic rain gauges in the development blocks and Gram Panchayats of the state, for which provisions of Rs 200 crore and Rs 60 crore are proposed respectively.

 

The Mukhyamantri Khet Suraksha Yojana is also set to begin, for which an allocation of Rs 50 crores has been made.

 

The total reported area in the state is 241.70 lakh hectares, out of which cultivation is being done in 160.95 lakh hectares. The Yogi Government has set a target of achieving a 5.1 per cent growth rate of the agriculture sector in the state.

 

Rs 2400 crore is proposed for supplying electricity to private tube wells of farmers at concessional rates, which is 25 per cent up compared to the current financial year.

 

Rs 449 crore 45 lakh is proposed for the implementation of PM KUSUM Yojana, which is more than double as compared to the current financial year.

 

The ban on giving new private tubewell connections in the dark zone has been lifted, which directly benefited about one lakh farmers.

 

The benefit of seasonal tariff and facility of temporary electricity connection was provided for irrigation of Rabi crop in Bundelkhand region.

 

In the year 2023-2024, about 37 lakh Kisan Credit Cards were issued till October 2023.

 

Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, compensation of Rs 831 crore was given to about 10 lakh insured farmers until October 2023 for the financial year 2022-2023.

 

Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, an amount of about Rs 63,000 crore was transferred to the accounts of 2 crore 62 lakh farmers through DBT by December 2023.

 

Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-Dhan Yojana, small and marginal farmers of the state are provided with a fixed monthly pension of Rs 3000 – both men and women – upon attaining the age of 60 years.

 

A record sugarcane price payment of more than Rs 2 lakh 33 thousand 793 crore was made to about 46 lakh sugarcane farmers by the present government from the year 2017 to January 29, 2024. This sugarcane price payment is Rs 20,274 crore more than the combined sugarcane price payment of Rs 2 lakh 1 thousand 519 crore in the previous 22 years.

 

For the crushing season 2023-2024, the price of early maturing sugarcane varieties has been increased from Rs 350 to Rs 370, of common varieties from Rs 340 to Rs 360 and of unsuitable varieties from Rs 335 to Rs 355 per quintal.

 

Under Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, the teaching and learning work of Agricultural College, Gonda, has started from the academic session 2023-2024.

 

Rs 100 crore is proposed for various new courses in agricultural and technological universities and colleges. Rs 100 crore is proposed for the establishment of Mahatma Buddha Agricultural and Technological University, Kushinagar.

The finance ministry has asked banks to engage with exporters and importers and expedite resolution of their problems while appropriately examining compliance requirements. In a statement the finance ministry noted that banks will work closely with Department of Commerce and export promotion councils for trade facilitation and early resolution of problems.

On Monday, financial services secretary Vivek Joshi held a review meeting to address banking and insurance related issues faced by exporters and importers. 'To ensure a seamless process, banks were advised to engage with clients to expedite resolution of their problems while appropriately examining compliance requirements,' the ministry noted in a statement.

 

The meeting was attended by senior officers from Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Commerce, and Ministry of Finance. Functionaries of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) along with Chairman, State Bank of India (SBI) and senior executives of major commercial banks.

 

Joshi asked banks to classify issues faced by them in different categories and indicated that they may consider seeking necessary regulatory guidance from RBI and also develop a standard operating procedure through Indian Banks Association (IBA).